Titus takes a coffee break

Melissa Galea of Oshawa Animal Services holds still a puppaccino, a cup of whipped cream, from Starbucks for Titus, a German shepherd mix who currently lives at OAS. Titus hit the town to not only get himself a treat, but also to drum up support for animal adoptions through OAS.

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

What do you take in your coffee?

Well, for Titus, a four-year-old, black and tan German shepherd mix, it’s only one thing: whipped cream, and you can hold the coffee.

At least that’s what the young pooch with Oshawa Animal Services (OAS) enjoyed on his first visit to Starbucks as he slurped down the hidden item on the coffee chain’s menus, labelled a “puppaccino.”

Titus has been in Oshawa’s animal shelter since December, and now OAS is looking to showcase him to residents who may want to have him as a part of their family.

“We hope that by exposing him in this way, he might just need a different audience and hopefully find his forever home,” says Kathy Pittman-Feltham with Oshawa’s Animal Services.

Looking excitedly from person to person as the crowd gathered around, Titus absorbed the head scratches and back rubs with apparent glee. It’s that personality Pittman-Feltham says OAS is trying to share.

“It’s to showcase a little bit more of their personality, which someone may not see when they actually come to visit the shelter. They don’t always showcase their true personality in that aspect, but you bring a dog out to Starbucks, people can start to relate to them in more of a home environment,” she says.

However, it’s not only pups like Titus that OAS is looking to find homes for as the shelter houses many cats and small animals as well.

“On a large scale, we also want to let the public know we have lots of animals available for adoption and that we promote the ‘Adopt, don’t shop’ campaign,” Pittman-Feltham says.

For those looking to perhaps add a furry friend to their home, information on eligible animals can be found at the Oshawa Animals Services pet adoption webpage at oshawa.ca/petadoption, along with features on the city’s social media accounts.